4 Square is a great organizer! This is my 2nd year using it. Last year I used it just as the book prescribed. My kids' writing test scores were sky high (and believe you me, they were not a particularly gifted group).
This year, I'm using 4 Square as a prewriting tool for teaching the skill of paragraph writing for expository text. But, I'm laying off the use of it for narrative writing because it limits the children's creative license. I want them to be dramatic and have fun with their writing.
So far, this has seemed to work well. After a couple of expository pieces, my kids are now writing a narrative piece that includes dialogue. We didn't use a 4 square for it, but they understand that they need an introduction, body, and conclusion.
my students love using the 4-square model. it really helps with organization, but my kids, much like psc's, seem to have their creativity limited. i've noticed their writing is more focused with 4-square. it's especially good for organizing persuasive writing.
I am a first grade teacher and would love to use 4-sqaure with my kids. Do you think they are too young and not ready? How can I use this with first grade?
I am not trained in the 4-square method but I use a modified version of what I think y'all are talking about. It is a good way to prewrite. The same approach can be used for many other activities like vocabulary study.
Take a piece of paper and fold it into fourths. Fold over the corner where all the folds meet (the center of the paper). When you unfold you have four blocks and a diamond in the middle. You can put a topic sentence in the middle and supporting details in the 4 corner chambers.
You can put a vocabulary word in the center. In one corner you can put the definition, in another you can put a synonym, in another you can put sentence using the word in context, in the final corner, you can put an illustration of the word...or whatever.
You can use this foldy for note-taking too. This is a very versatile foldy (a riff on the "Frayer Model")!
I don't thin your students are to young. Start them out putting a picture in each box, then label the pictures, then move to simple sentences, etc. It works great!!!
Your children are definitely not too young. I teach first grade. I started the year introducing the four square and why we use it, etc. Then we moved onto the simple cut and paste activities that the book includes (topic is pets, they find the pictures of the pets and glue in the squares). Then we moved on to simple sentences and we have already written three different paragraphs. We just finished one with the four square about the things we are thankful for. They really understand what they need in a paragraph with the help of the four square. Good luck!
I have used the 4 Square method for four years now (two in 2nd grade and two in 1st). Our K teachers use it too. I think the sooner the students are introduced to it, the better the results are. I especially like that it is already differentiated for all levels. I have some 1st graders who are still drawing one picture in each box and others who are writing 2 and 3 sentences in each square.
I have really found that their writing is a lot more focused, which has previously been a struggle.
WOW!! I love this idea of folding the paper. I teach antsy six graders and they loved this! They love any kinds of hands on activities. Thanks for sharing
Can you explain how you used the four corner method in your class? This is the first I'm hearing about it. It sounds like something I could use in my class. Where did you hear of this method? Is there a book that teaches this model?
This is my first year teaching first grade, and I'm going to be observed, a friend told me I should use the 4 square method and teach writing. I was thinking of having them write Pets in the center, coming up with 3 pets as a class and all writing about the same 3 pets, just writing 1 sentence about each pet and then I was told the fourth box is for a feeling like "I like pets." or "Pets make me happy." After filling out the 4 square paper I was going to have them write it on lined writing paper. Can anyone tell me if this is the correct way to do it, or is there anything else I should do to add to this lesson?
Thanks
just remember that in 4 square you have 4 squares, 3 are for your reason, details and vivid words to make it clear, and the fourth is for your concluding or wrap up sentence or paragraph. Remember connecting words to connect all 4 squares (first, then, next, also, etc.) and you can use this method to teach order of events also.
I'm a 2nd year teacher and teach 4th grade. I just started using the 4 Square model book about 2 weeks ago. The first week, we actually had a district writing test. I decided, what the hey, I'll have them use the plan for this test. My scores were higher and the writing was actually good! Many of the stories written out made sense and flowed well. I actually had students indenting, showing more than one paragraph, etc.
I started on this b/c it was talked about in my Master's class and decided to go for it. My kids this year have major issues taking their web or other plan and putting it into sentences and paragraphs. I even did a type of question answer thing with them and this was the biggest response I got on what they were having the most trouble with.
So, far I am still seeing results. There are several kids still struggling with it, but that's normal in all situations. I'm hoping the more and more I do it, the better all of them will get.
Oh, and I have fun with it...so do the kids! We all look forward to writer's workshop each day now.
I find the four square is also useful in creating sensory poems for students. Each quadrant can be used for he senses, hear, sight, etc.
The method I used was to give the students a fruit and have them write how the fruit taste, smells, feels etc. then choose a concrete object to compare for creating a similie or metaphor.
The four square is helpful in allowing students to compartmentalize the experience, for use in details as sensory poetry.
I am an 8th grade Language Arts teacher and randomly found the "4 square model" book at Holcomb's---I always get excited when I find things for my grade level there--Anyways--this method totally rocks---My students are writing well thought out short essays and we're able to carry it across the curriculum--I so wish I would have been the one to invent this one--I could have been rich !! I am working on a new assignment for my students now---I'm wanting them to compare/contrast the protagonist of two different stories--I'm thinking I might need to have them do two separate 4 square's -- one to compare and one to contrast to make sure they include enough details to write about....Anyone have any ideas out there?
The best thing to do, honestly, is to go buy the book, because it really helps you teach your kids in a step-by-step way, and has lots of reproducibles and examples and stuff like that. Here is the most basic format: In the middle, you put the main idea, like Fruit. Then in boxes two, three, and four, you put supporting details, like Grapes, Oranges, and Bananas. In the last box you put the wrap-up sentence, which for this example would be Grapes, oranges, and bananas are fruit. Go by the book, it's worth the $12.95!!! It's changing the way I teach my 7th graders.
10-01-2005, 12:20 PM
!! I am working on a new assignment for my students now---I'm wanting them to compare/contrast the protagonist of two different stories--I'm thinking I might need to have them do two separate 4 square's -- one to compare and one to contrast to make sure they include enough details to write about....Anyone have any ideas out there?
Simple View
